Financial percentages are quoted everywhere these days.

This newspaper has reported that house prices in St Albans rose by an amazing 13% during 2012.

That’s great if you own a house, until you want to move to Harpenden when it makes no difference.

Inflation is currently 2.7%.  That’s a bit better than in 1991 (remember it?) when it reached 8.5%.

Total Wimbledon prize money this year was 40% up on 2012.  That humble Mr Murray got a lot more than that nice Mr Federer did last year.

And then there’s that 11% pay rise recommended for our MPs which has embarrassed most of them no end.

I am thinking percentages because my church is currently looking at ‘generosity’ as part of the summer’s teaching programme.

Some say that Christians are supposed to give 10% of their income away, but that was a standard Old Testament tax (and only one part of the giving requirement at that).

Jesus asks for something rather more radical from his followers: 100%.  Your money and your life, to misquote the highwaymen of old.

When you’ve got your mind round that, you can decide what it means to be generous.

On this basis 10% looks somewhat paltry for many of us.

Christians are those who appreciate that God has first been so amazingly generous to us.

He offers forgiveness, life in all its fullness, a future with him, if we will only accept.

But this cost 100% for the one on a cross.  And that redefined ‘generosity’.

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